Applicants for the 100 pilot and 150 cabin crew positions at the newly launched company - a subsidiary of Air Europa - had to pay €60 (£45) to get their shot at a job, union representatives said.

“Charging for an evaluation of candidates is inadmissible”, the pilots’ association Copac said in a statement.

Copac said such a policy was an “unlawful attack on the principles of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in the labour market”.

“If they asked for 60 euros this time, what may they charge the next time?” said Isaac Valero, a representative of the USO trade union at Air Europa.

“Faced with an ever more precarious labour market with over 20 per cent of the active population out of work, this is clearly a disgraceful and abusive new measure which only contributes to making it harder for people to access employment”.

Mr Valero said that his union had received a copy of an e-mail which the airline sent to candidates demanding the 60-euro fee.

Air Europa Express began flying on Monday between Valencia and Palma de Mallorca and plans to use 11 small planes on domestic and European routes.

A spokesman for Globalia, which owns Air Europa, said the company had no comment to make on the accusations, merely confirming that the new low-cost carrier had conducted interviews for positions in the new subsidiary.